Posting - Rising to the Occasion
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Lately, we’ve been doing a bit of posting at the canter so our team of riders get faster at lightening the seat and finding a weight aid into the stirrups. While this may seem unusual, it was something quite common with the Pony Express riders (It is called “posting” after all…) back in the 1800s. Those guys had to cover miles of territory very quickly. In an effort to spare the horse’s backs as much as possible, they would post at the trot, canter, or gallop. Of course, sparing the horse’s back was essential for both mail delivery and out running an arrow through the skull so incentive was no problem. For us common folk, we just gotta give it a go and hope our steed enjoys the extra freedom to move.
It might be a handy idea to start feeling for the balance of being in the stirrups at the walk. Just stand straight up in your stirrups and practice shifting your weight (those heavy hips) quietly from the outside stirrup to the inside stirrup and back to both. Don’t lean or grip with the legs. Try to use your abdominal muscles so that you don’t arch your back. Keep your eyes and sternum up to help your balance. Make sure the wide part (ball of your foot) is on your stirrup tread.
Once you are trotting, practice changing your posting diagonal by standing the “two beats” instead of sitting. Get used to the feel of the standing balance. On a straight line, keep an even balance in both stirrups. On a curved line, like a circle, sometimes lower the inside heel more so you are not heavier on the outer stirrup. Don’t lean. Change back and forth several times each direction to get the feel.
Now it is time for your abdominal work out. Pick up the canter and work to find a rhythm (maybe 2 strides up and 2 strides down) to rise up and sit down again without hanging on your reins or disrupting the horse’s balance too much. If you squeeze with your thighs to rise up, the horse will likely break to trot. Use your abs and quads! If you thump back down when you sit, your horse will likely speed up or stop from the discomfort. Use your abs and quads.
Once you sit back down again at the canter, you should be more aware of the centeredness of your position and the free movement of your horse’s back and legs, now (hopefully) unimpeded by tight hips or gripping legs.
Remember that posting (rising) is done from your core…your hips rise forward without your shoulders leading. We used to say it was like the action of closing the kitchen drawer with your hips when your arms are unavailable to do so. Take care not to squeeze the horse with your thighs as you rise. This is a core workout!
Remember that rising at the trot should have a synchronicity with the diagonal pair of legs that you are moving along with. Normally, one rises and sits in sync with the inner hind and outer fore (the primary diagonal) but on occasion, one may rise with the secondary diagonal (the inner fore and outer hind). Check your ability to maintain tempo between the two.
Have a fun time of discovery as you feel for your weight to tickle down into your stirrups. Your quads will become stronger as your own lateral balance improves. Your timing will become better as you find a better following balance with your horse. Your seat will become more centered and your hips more open thereby enabling a deeper, more connected seat in the long run.
Find your inner Pony Express rider and just do it.